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Daily Archives: May 7, 2007

My grandfather, Warren Morgan, died last week. He was nearly 98 years old. He lived a great long life. I am working on a family photo montage as a tribute to his life for the services next week. This was my grandfather’s graduation picture.

As I look at all the photos of his life, I am reminded of one of my favorite movies with Robin Williams – Dead Poets Society. Maybe we all think we have forever as we look into the camera at all those special moments in time.

My earliest memory of my grandfather was really building the cabin on Lake Coeur d’Alene that my parents now have. I was about 5 or 6 and my hand print is in the foundation of the place. That couple of summers were really rough as my grandfather, uncle Chuck and my dad worked hard just getting the raw materials out to the cabin for construction (let alone the building part). That cabin was just the third on the whole bay at Benion Point at the time circa 1970 (now there are hundreds perhaps a thousand) in that same area. The roads in to the cabin at that time were incredible rough and steep compared with the one that exists today.

What I really remember about the work is how my grandfather actually truly enjoyed the work particularly with my dad. My dad and I have carried on the tradition since every time I go to the cabin I really enjoy some major building project that we do together. As I child I just couldn’t grasp the concept of “enjoying work” particularly hard physical labor.

At that time like most kids my age, I was into play, swimming, crafts, really anything but work. In those days even leisure on the lake took considerable work. You literally had to climb to get to the beach over huge pieces of driftwood, stumps and other lake debris. A far cry from the way it is today with a pristine beach with grass right down to the shore. Pictured here is the first speed boat (one of his prized possessions) my grandfather bought at the cabin (seated left to right is my cousin Laurie, my cousin Mark and Grandma Morgan)

It was really no different in town at their home in Spokane, Washington; Grandpa Morgan was always working / puttering with some kind of project. His favorite work really was his wood shop buried deep in the back of their basement. He had a full size wood lathe that we carved wood bowls and dowels as well as dozens of other saws and special wood working tools.

In honor of my grandfathers passing I am uploading his life story that he wrote in 1997. We will all miss him.